Public healthcare group NYC Health + Hospitals debuted Meatless Monday at its 11 hospitals this month. The group, which is the largest municipal hospital and clinic network in the US, was praised by Brooklyn Borough president (and passionate vegan) Eric L. Adams. The vegan meals include pasta and garden bolognese, vegetables and hummus and black bean soup.

Whether your company and staff are decidedly herbivore, carnivore or omnivore, there are lessons to be taken away:

Ride the wave. You don’t need us to tell you that veganism has gone from niche to mainstream. According to the Economist – which recently declared 2019 the ‘year of the vegan’ –, a quarter of 25 to 34-year-olds in the US now say they are vegetarian or vegan. So this move sees NYC Health + Hospitals tapping into a shift with real momentum. Are you constantly scanning the horizon for the shifts you should see coming?

Make your demands. Rising awareness of the damage that meat does to the planet is helping driving this shift. Many consumers want to reduce their consumption of animal products –  but change is hard! Introducing Meatless Monday sees NYC Health + Hospitals become a DEMANDING BRAND: making easier for consumers to make a positive change by giving them no choice. Yes, a bold move. But one that rising numbers of conscious consumers will be grateful for. So what constructive change could you DEMAND of your customers in 2019?

Internal culture is brand. This move echoes WeWork’s recent declaration that they would no longer allow employees to expense meals containing meat. That example received widespread media coverage, thereby achieving a two-fold power. First, it’s a move towards greater sustainability. But second, this change to the internal culture is a hugely powerful communication of the brand’s values; one that speaks far louder than any conventional campaign or CSR document. Food for thought (pun intended) when you consider your internal culture in 2019.